Around the world in 60 seconds - 16 July 2010

This week’s events include:

• BP reaches critical point in the oil cleanup
• French parliament overwhelmingly approves burqa ban
• Somali group warned Uganda over suicide bombings

BP reaches critical point in the oil cleanup

In its most promising attempt yet at stopping the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, BP has removed the old, leaking cap and successfully replaced it with a new one.

The cap is on the well head but oil is still gushing out. The plan is now to close all the valves around the cap where the oil is escaping so that it will be funnelled up to the surface where giant ships are waiting to collect it.

However, there is one problem: pressure. If the cap and funnel can’t handle the oil pressure and volume, it might force another, more serious leak somewhere else in the well.

As a result, BP workers are slowly and cautiously closing each valve to test how the pressure of the oil in the well reacts. Results of the testing should be known sometime today.

BP still admits the final solution to the leak lies in connecting the relief wells which are expected to be finished by mid-August.

On another note, BP’s share price went up this week after some Middle Eastern government investment funds showed interest in buying some of its assets, allowing it to raise cash to pay for the spill.

French parliament overwhelmingly approves burqa ban

On Tuesday, the lower house of the French Parliament easily passed a bill banning all forms of the Islamic veil in public places. Now the bill must go to the upper house (Senate) where it is expected to be passed in September.

From there it goes to France’s Constitutional Council for a ruling, where experts predict it could be deemed unconstitutional (in breach of France’s fundamental human rights).

The ban could also be ruled against in the European Court of Human Rights, rendering the ban null and void.

According to the proposed law, anyone seen wearing the veil would be fined €150. A wealthy Muslim businessman in France has promised a €1 million fund (to which he has already committed €200,000) to help Muslim women pay their fines.

Somali group warned Uganda over suicide bombings

On Sunday evening, during the final of the Football World Cup, two bombs were detonated in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, killing 76 people.

The bombs were set off in an Ethiopian restaurant and a popular rugby club by two suicide bombers from the Somali militia group Shabab, which controls much of south and central Somalia.

Shabab had been warning Uganda for two years that they would commit such acts unless Uganda removed their troops from Somalia.

Uganda has 3,000 troops in Somalia as part of the African Union force protecting the fragile pro-Western transitional government to which Shabab is opposed.

Somalia’s government is notoriously weak, corrupt and has little support among locals. As a result, it only controls a small part of the capital Mogadishu, while the rest of the country is run by local leaders or lawless.

Photo – The oil cap fitted to the well head